Arnyek
Arnyek was a Catfolk Ranger who participated in the early days of the Blackfire Expedition. He was a lighthearted spirit who did not always fit in well, with anyone really, but was still liked regardless. Young Life Arnyek was born a peasant in the Sylvan city of Mirerock. Ther e he lived with his Mother, Father, and two siblings for a very short while. The Aludiran movement began very quickly in his life. Arcane explosions and earthquakes rocked the foundations of Mirerock and Arnyek was seperated from his father, whom he presumed dead. He became a wanderer and a ranger with the hopes of supporting his family. The Blackfire Expedition On a return trip from a hunt, Arnyek found a flier promising untold riches and prosperity. He arrived at the Thaldor headquarters where he met his new family. Justice (Just Fists), Monkey Girl, a Jester, and a Priest of sorts. They were briefed by a tall Satyr and Arnyek found that he didn't like the Jester being the spokesperson for the expedition, and called him out early. The crew was allowed 2 days to get supplies and Arnyek spent them buying specialty arrows, quivers, a brand new black bow with silver trim, and a reversible black and green cape, also with silver trim. He would also go on to buy a brooch with an image of Mirerock's market square; the reason he was going on this expedition. One purchase he made, was he bought magical ice cream with the hopes of eventually figuring out how to produce and sell it, bringing joy to the world. Images of gold and wonder filled his mind as he thought about supplying his family with this unending wealth. In the city, the party goes shopping for elixirs. After some unfortunate swindling occurances, a fight breaks out between the expedition and the goblins operating a drug smuggling business. Arnyek misses his mark and the goblins mostly get away after an explosion, except for one unfortunate soul named Poog. Moving on to the next town, the party finds the front for the drug producers. Without any tactfulness or real justice, the party raids the basement and Arnyek is grazed by a ballista bolt. Arnyek launches an arrow with a small jar of dye on the front at the operator of the balista, and it runs straight into his forehead, shattering the jar and making a bullseye as the shaft of the arrow continues through his skull, somehow not killing him. This halfling tries to load the ballista again, but Arnyek doesn't appreciate his efforts and splits his own arrow, as well as the halfling's skull with a follow-up shot. With the "Cheese" operation halted, and only 3 goblin/halfling survivors, the party gets back on the road to the Unknown. They board a ferry and the journey begins. They land at a small outpost packed with adventurers also planning to make the trip into the Unknown. After regrouping with their party, they are briefed on that they must find the Temple of Taldos, and Arnyek vows to build a kingdom around the temple as long as his family is taken care of. The company takes off and eventually finds a bridge, which Arnyek gracefully balances on the side of until one by one, his expedition members get pulled off the bridge. He knocks a pheremone arrow and smells for the threat. Troll. Immediately as the troll makes his presence known he's met by an arrow in the skull. Arnyek begins launching arrow after arrow as his friends engage the beast. He turns around and sees 3 goats sitting at the end of the bridge, and calls upon their honor to help fight the beast. They aren't really much for talking, so Arnyek returns to the fight. Arnyek devises a plan in which he is going to shoot an arrow with string on the end into the troll's head and swing off the bridge and drag the ogre with him. But then out of no where a goat-demon appears and kills the troll. After a few attempts to get past the troll's regeneration, "Just Fists," still high on Cheese, blows up the troll with a cart and it burns to ashes. Arnyek first does a backflip and a fist pump to inspire the party, then takes a cat-nap. Feeling slightly rejuvenated, he awakens to see the group talking about the Arcornei. With his vast and extensive knowledge of the genocidal slave monstrocities, he offers in his two cents. After that, the journey continues. They walk into the forest which becomes so dark that the only sense of use to him is his sense of smell. He smells goblins all around them, but the goblins don't move in, but rather keep careful watch on the expedition. The company arrives in a clearing with an inn and a large tree with purple leaves. After they sample the mead outside, they determine it would be best to investigate the inn. Arnyek is wary of an inn in the middle of no where, but waryness won't help now. He goes inside and it is a bustling scene. He motions for a platter of milk and takes it off into the corner to drink while he eyes his surroundings. Something is amiss, but he can't put his finger on it. He realizes everyone is speaking the catfolk language, Kahjiit to him, and he understands them all perfectly, even the ogre. The cleric insults him again, and Arnyek cries, he's a sensitive fellow who doesn't understand why even the priest must be so harsh. After some time, Arnyek realizes its impossible to leave the tavern, and searches for another escape. He finds a trap door and leads everyone down. The Basement of Sorrow In the basement is an ominous scene. There is a stone altar in the middle with tree roots encircling it and the corpse of a dead Terrainian upon it. The altar reads "only blood will open the door" Thoughts enter his head that the Oriad would make a worthy sacrifice, but he quickly snaps out of it and inspects the chest in the corner of the room. Inside is a man who he saw upstairs get p unched several times in the face. The man takes poog and begins to drag him to the sacrifical altar as Fists relentlessly attacks the roots of the tree, summoning minions from the bar above to come defend it. Arnyek begins firing arrows into the minions, slaying or helping defeat them one by one, Poog escapes the clutches of the man. Then out of seemingly no where, a dagger plunges into Arnyek's back. The monkey looks at the knife in her hands as if she doesn't know what happened. He tries to cry out in shock, but only blood escapes his mouth. He is dragged by an unknown force to the altar and begins to bleed out. The monkey attempts to stab him again, and again, barely missing each time as steel chips on stone. Arnyek comes to his senses for one last second before looking up as all of his party members begin to sink their weapons into him and life leaves his body. As he opens his eyes, he finds himself walking through a door and into warm sands. See Journal Entries of Trig - Cleric of the Mother